We recently partook in an activity in which we chose a candidate for an online television show based on their digital footprints. The class was split up into groups of three, and each group was responsible for evaluating both candidates and choosing the best fit based on their findings. I believe that it is not fair to employ someone based on his or her digital footprint if any offensive or otherwise inappropriate posts were made when the individual was younger. We all experience growth in maturity, and I do not believe it is right to judge someone's current character based on actions committed before. However, if the individual has been shown to have little to no regard for respect or truth in his recent posts, I believe that is enough of an indication for his work ethic and morals.
If someone uses the internet and maintains accounts, they would have a digital footprint. A digital footprint is, as the name implies, an imprint left in the internet by a user's doings. Your digital footprint is shaped by what you and others post about yourself. You can shape it by being vigilant about what you are posting on the internet. The internet is a vast place where items are being constantly archived. On most services, if you delete a post, it may still have been captured digitally or archived within a company's servers. However, some things are out of control for our digital footprints. Individuals may include your profile or mention you within posts you would most rather stay out of. In order to protect my digital footprint, I ensure that what I post is appropriate in the first place. As I previously mentioned, deleting a post which was already digitally photographed or archived may not remove all traces of it.
The hosts which we had to choose from were about ten years older than us. In the future, if an employer were to look at my digital footprint, he would be sorely disappointed at the fact that it would be quite boring. With my online aliases, I mostly just chat in-game and post on tech and game forums, helping others with any questions they may have. I am a big tech enthusiast. Most of my searches pertain to either computational parts, online gaming, or online means of entertainment. In the future, I look forward to having a career in computer science. If an employer were to look at my digital portfolio, I would hope that he or she would take interest in my development projects and my willingness to help others.